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A. Overall. An approved Master Plan as described herein is required prior to development in the Plan District in order to ensure development is consistent with the Section 30 Employment Center Plan. Mining activities are expected to continue on portions of this site for several years, but portions may redevelop in the near future. Master plans shall address long term development of the entire Plan District as shown in Figure 20.690-1, and shall include consideration of long term development of the entire plan area, particularly in regard to street and pedestrian connectivity, transitional grades between developments, stormwater management, open space connectivity, utility service and traffic impacts.

B. Contents. Master Plans shall address the following:

1. Proposed grading and final elevations for all portions of the site, including transitional grades to adjacent properties.

2. Proposed employment uses, including location, lot size, and floor area ratio for industrial, office and commercial uses.

3. Proposed residential uses including location, number of dwelling units and density.

4. Proposed location of any Urban Neighborhood Overlay areas governed by VMC 20.690.070.

5. Transportation analysis that:

a. Demonstrates consistency with the Section 30 Employment Center Plan and meets the intent of the Section 30 Design Guidelines.

b. Includes a map and narrative of the following:

i. On site public and private roads, alleys, parking and circulation including, an exhibit of roadway functional classifications, typical section, and design parameters, such as street grades, “green” strategies, and traffic calming for local roadways, bicycle and pedestrian facilities.

ii. Future street circulation and connectivity plan covering adjacent properties within 600 feet of subject property.

iii. Traffic Analysis and Mitigation plan.

iv. Trip Reduction and Transportation Demand Management Plan

v. Parking Management plan if variance from parking requirements is proposed.

6. Utility and Facility analysis that includes a map and narrative of the following:

a. Public sewer, water and stormwater systems, demonstrating consistency with the Section 30 Employment Center Plan;

b. Parks, open spaces, plazas, and trails, demonstrating consistency with the Section 30 Employment Center Plan;

c. Private utilities – location; and

d. Schools, if any

7. Analysis of impacts to the adjacent properties and mitigation proposed to achieve development envisioned in the Section 30 Employment Center Plan including future streets, roundabouts, grading, utility service, site drainage, trails and open space and land use location.

8. Full Site Utilization Plan, refer to VMC 20.690.060.

9. A master landscape plan.

10. Anticipated phasing of development, site ownership, or common management provisions, if any.

11. Provisions for buffering adjacent mining or heavy industrial activities if applicable, at a level of detail sufficient to judge adequacy of buffering from adverse noise, dust and visual impacts. Noise attenuation shall meet standards for maximum permissible environmental noise levels contained in WAC 173-60-040 for proposed uses.

12. Consistency between the Master Plan and the Section 30 Employment Center Plan and Plan policies.

13. Modification. Modifications to design and development standards may be processed as part of the request for master plan approval if the applicant can demonstrate compliance with the following approval criteria:

a. The modification(s) is warranted given site conditions and/or characteristics of the design; and

b. The proposed change meets the intent of the development standards and Section 30 Employment Center Plan and is consistent with the Design Guidelines; and

c. The proposed change will not result in a substantial impact to transportation, water, sewer, or storm water management systems; and

d. The proposed change is consistent with Vancouver Municipal Code and Vancouver Comprehensive Plan.

C. Review Criteria and Process. Master Plans shall be processed as a Type IV application considered initially by the Planning Commission with final decisions made by the City Council. The Master Plan shall be approved, approved with conditions, or denied upon findings that:

1. The Master Plan implements the Section 30 Employment Center Plan and requirements of this chapter.

2. Impacts from ongoing heavy industrial uses on adjacent properties will be buffered and mitigated.

3. The Master Plan is consistent with the Section 30 Design Guidelines or proposes standards that will achieve at least equal quality site development.

4. The Master Plan achieves the following objectives:

a. Provides for the potential of more intense urban development in the future and for compatibility between different land uses by meeting VMC 20.690.060, Full Site Utilization Plan requirements.

b. Provides safe, cohesive and connecting street and sidewalk system that is consistent with the Section 30 Employment Center Plan.

i. Plans and allows for connections to future development in the entire Plan District.

ii. Generally meets the future collector street locations and substantially meets connections to streets outside of Section 30 as shown in the Section 30 Employment Center Plan document.

iii. Provides a logical extension, continuation and interconnection of streets and bike/pedestrian access ways to serve circulation and access needs within the Section 30 Employment Center Plan document and adjoining neighborhoods.

iv. Provides a multi-directional access and circulation to the street system similar to that provided by a traditional street grid with streets intersecting at 90 degree angles at regular intervals of 200 to 600 feet.

v. Provides full multimodal infrastructure and on-site facilities that promote the use of transit, pedestrian, and bike modes, as contemplated in the Section 30 Employment Center Plan.

c. Provides for a cohesive public utility (water, sewer, and stormwater) network that facilitates service to all areas within the Plan District, meets Section 30 Employment Center Plan policies and 20.690.060, Full Size Utilization plan.

d. Provides for an integrated park/open space and trail network that meets the standards of the Vancouver-Clark Parks & Recreation Comprehensive Parks, Recreation & Open Space Plan and substantially meets the intent of the Section 30 Employment Center Plan Open Space, Trails and Public Facility policies.

e. Provides landscaping that includes trees that will create an attractive community, maximize the use of native plant materials and meet the intent of the Section 30 Design Guidelines.

f. Establishes property grades and finished elevations that allow for balanced grade transitions between properties.

g. Retaining walls shall meet the intent of Section 30 Design Guidelines.

h. Provides for shared parking where feasible.

i. Meets SEPA requirement.

D. Master Plan Modification.

1. Process.

a. No Amendment. Development applications, which differ from adopted Master Plans as follows, require no additional review under Title 20 VMC.

i. Changes to phasing, provided proposed development is fully identified in the Full Site Utilization Plan, 20.690.060 in the adopted Master Plan.

ii. Refinement of building footprint, use mix, access, parking and landscaping provided the resulting site plan is consistent with the Full Site Utilization Plan, adopted Master Plan and the Section 30 Design Guidelines.

iii. Changes in the location and design of trails, so long as they are consistent with the adopted Master Plan, the Section 30 Employment Center Plan and Design Guidelines.

iv. Changes to the buffering provided for new development from adverse impacts of ongoing heavy industrial uses on adjacent properties, provided the result is the same or better attenuation of noise and dust and visual impacts.

v. Changes to the location of uses.

b. Type I Review – Changes to the Master Plan design guidelines provided proposed changes are consistent with the Section 30 Employment Center Plan and Design Guidelines and will not compromise the ability to achieve the overall quality of development proposed in the Master Plan.

c. Type II Review

i. New buildings, so long as the additional development can be accommodated with only minor changes to the transportation, water, sewer, storm drainage systems, or the Full Site Utilization Plan, 20.690.060 in the approved Master Plan.

ii. Significant changes to street locations or capacity.

iii. Significant reduction in the amount of public open space.

d. Type III Review – New buildings that result in the need for a significant change in the transportation, water, sewer, storm drainage systems, or the Full Site Utilization Plan, 20.690.060 in the approved Master Plan.

e. Interpretation. The City of Vancouver retains the authority to assign the appropriate review process where application of this chapter is unclear, or inappropriate given the size of the modification involved.

2. Modification Approval Criteria.

a. The proposed change meets the intent of the Section 30 Employment Center Plan and is consistent with the Design Guidelines; and

b. The proposed change will not result in a substantial impact to transportation, water, sewer or storm water management systems; and

c. The proposed change will not result in adverse impacts to adjacent properties or uses; and

d. The proposed change is consistent with Vancouver Municipal Code and Vancouver Comprehensive Plan. (Ord. M-3930, Added, 10/05/2009, Sec 4)